Acting in major films?

Question:ok you guys this is very important to me i have been wanting to be in movies since i was 7 and the film that has inspired me at that time when i was young was surf ninjas i am moving to cali on my 18th bday and i need help finding the right place and stuff to make it so if anyone can help me i would appricate it and if someone can give me tips on where to be and what to do i would also be glad for this information

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: ok you guys this is very important to me i have been wanting to be in movies since i was 7 and the film that has inspired me at that time when i was young was surf ninjas i am moving to cali on my 18th bday and i need help finding the right place and stuff to make it so if anyone can help me i would appricate it and if someone can give me tips on where to be and what to do i would also be glad for this information

Move to: Hollywood
Find a: An Agent
Partcipate In: School dramas, musicals...etc.
Go to: Yale Drama School, Los Angeles Movie Academy
Go do a: audtition (for commercials or small TV series at start)
Gradually get famous........
GOOD LUCK! IF YOU GET FAMOUS....CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPH?

You're to have to work your way up, I'm afraid it's not that easy. First of all, the majority of this is done in LA, so you would have to be there. Major studios use Casting Directors to csat their film. Casting Directors post breakdowns of the characters their casting and send them to agents. Agents go through their actors and submit the ones that fit the breakdowns.
Sounds easy, right? So, all you need to do is get an agent? Well, it is extremely difficult to get representation - you need lots of training, experience, a marketable look (are you another 20 year old blonde girl-next- door type? That type is so prevalent, I don't think you'd even stand a chance unless you had Meryl Streep's talent) and a combination of luck, determination and connections.
If you're determined to go, do some research. Read:

How to Be a Working Actor
Self-Marketing for Actors
Ask an Agent

Also, if you're going out there with no experience or training, do not go with the expectation of immediately finding an agent and working. It may take 5 years before you get your first professional job, so be prepared for that. Look into classes you can sign up for (and do so immediately). Also, check Backstage and Actors Access for non-union auditions to help build your resume.
An experienced poster on backstage.com wrote this guide to getting started in LA, it's a great read - http://bbs.backstage.com/eve/forums/a/tp...

backstage is a good forum but I also suggest looking here for info: http://workingactors.com/

There are lots of good resources in that book which is now online for free. I would still caution you to check out any business before using them because it's just a directory and there are places listed that I would never use (like Barbizon...) but overall it's an excellent resource.

Also, you may want to think twice before moving here right away. Do you have a resume? Hopefully you are moving here ready to go and not green. You should already have a resume of credits from your hometown that includes theatre, indie & student films... if not, you're still going to have to do that here and chances are your market is smaller and easier to get into than Los Angeles.

You'll need to do some research before you arrive and figure out which acting studio you want to take classes at. Many of them have waiting lists so you'd do well to get on them now. It's fairly fashionable for actors new to town or here for pilot season to stay in the Oakwood apartments on Barham but they're not cheap so look around. However it may be good for networking so it's up to you.

Also, just so you know... you can't generally pick and choose to just work in "major" films. Once you make a name for yourself you can but unless you have some clout, telling an agent right off the bat that you only want to go out for features may make you look arrogant. I suppose you may be able to present that to your agent in a non-arrogant way but that's up to you when the time comes to decide whther or not to tell them you only want to audition for features. I did have a friend who did that and he did a string of films but now he works in a bar.

good luck,
Marianne